Pastor Elwin Ahu
February 24, 2002 - W0208

At some point in our lives, no matter where we are or what weíre doing, weíre going to get hit with accusations. Even when youíre doing your very best, living the best life possible and treating everyone nicelyÖunfortunately, you will still come under fire. Accusations start flying and our confidence is under attack. These accusations come from enemies, co-workers, neighborsÖ even ìfriendly fireî from loved ones. It even happens in the church! (And that can hurt a lot.)

But the greatest accuser of all? Yourself. Surprising, but itís true. We tend to tear ourselves down a lot worse than anyone else can tear us down. Whether thatís through an inadequate self-image, through past failures, or just feeling unworthy, we are able to accuse ourselves and therefore tear ourselves down better than anyone else can.

Yet it doesnít really matter where the accusations come fromówhether itís through church, friends and family, or our selves. The intent of an accusation is to destroy a personís integrity and crush their confidence. And the struggles we face during these accusations are some of the most challenging trials of all. More than anything, it challenges our faith.

Question 1: Can you recall a time when you were accused of something? Did it challenge you to take control of the circumstance or did it draw you closer to the Lord?

Question 2: Identify one or two ways you accuse yourself. Is it poor self-confidence, low self-esteem or reliving past hurts or failures? What accusation do you replay in your own heart? Cover this in prayer.

Job was a man who went through accusations in the worst way possible. He started off as a man who stood before God, blameless, upright, and completely God-fearing. God loved Job so much that He blessed Job greatly. He had 10 children, 7,000 sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys and hundreds of servants. He was beyond blessed!

God was so proud of Job that one day He pointed out Job to Satan. Satan got upset by this God-fearing man and made a case that of course he would obey God as long as he was being blessed. But remove those blessings, Satan argued, and watch him fall and curse God instead! So God allowed Satan to remove and destroy things in Jobís life. In no time, Jobís children were killed, his animals burned and all that he owned was stolen. Jobís reaction to this great catastrophe and loss was to fall to the ground and worship God. Although he had lost his children and everything he owned, Job did not sin or blame God.

ìThen the Lord asked Satan, ëHave you noticed My servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earthóa man of complete integrity.... And he has maintained his integrity, even though you persuaded me to harm him without causeî (Job 2:3 NLT).

God showed Satan that Job was still righteous, God-fearing, and (most importantly) that he had not blamed God. But Satan still wasnít satisfied and wanted to challenge Job even more. He decided to plague Job with sores over his entire body. The sores were so bad that they oozed and caused Job excruciating pain.

Now, although Job had lost all of his children, his wife was still with him. And to make his suffering worse, his wife questioned his integrity and told him to curse God and die already. Then, if that wasnít bad enough, his three best friends show up and accuse him too! No pun intended but they added salt to Jobís wounds (remember, I said no pun intended!) Ö They told Job that he must have sinned somehow, somewhere for all of these bad things to happen and for sores to pop up all over his body. Man! Job didnít just have it bad, he had it BAAAAAD!

But through all of this, Job did not curse or blame God. Instead, he faithfully trusted and loved God. Because he was able to do this, (catch this because it is so important) because Job was able to maintain his integrity in the midst of accusations, he was also able to remain focused on the truth instead of what was true at the time. Let me give you the difference between those seemingly identical things. The truth is defined as Godís Word. Thatís what will be the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. On the other hand, ìwhatís trueî is our perception of what we see, hear and think is going on around us. For instance, a past addiction, a loss in the family, loss of possessions or a financial crash are surrounding circumstances which can be perceived as what is true. However, whatís true doesnít necessarily equate to whatís truth. Did you catch that? Make sure you do because itís so important.

ìO Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart.... He who does these things will never be shakenî (Ps. 15:1-2,5).

Circumstances may be true, but it is upon Godís truth that we can build confidence in the midst of accusations. Itís not just knowing or reading Godís Word as a collection of books made up of simple words. Instead, the Word of God is called ìthe Living Word,î one that is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is there to speak to your heart and make a difference in your life if you allow it to.

The truth is that weíre valuable regardless of our circumstances. The truth is that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but He is still faithful to forgive us. The truth is that He accepts us just as we are, and Heíll cause all things to work together for good for those who love him. This is Godís truth!

Question 3: What is one of your favorite verses? Be sure to find an ìanchor verse,î one Scripture or Biblical promise that will hold you through hard times. Take time to find one now & share these with your group.

Three Truths that Build Confidence:

1) GOD IS OUR GREATEST SUPPORTER.

ìTherefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before usî (Heb. 12:1).

God stands before and above every challenge, great and small. When weíre challenged or accused, He encourages us all the way because He has faith in each and every one of His children. The truth is that God is there, along with His cheerleaders (the great cloud of witnesses like Moses, Noah etc.). And they will be there if we feel like weíre all alone or failing. Theyíre still there, cheering you on.

When faced with losses, our most common reaction is to walk over to the accusersí bench and listen to accusations. Satan, our adversary is the accuser, in fact itís one of his names: ìthe Accuser of the Brethren.î Listen very carefully: Never give Satan any more credit than he deserves. Never give attention to anything or anyone who has less authority than God. Because the intent of accusations is only cut down confidence and ultimately to destroy integrity. And thereís nothing edifying in that. If you really want to hear cheering, then go to the one with true authority: Jesus.

Thatís the first truth in building a confidence amidst accusations: know who your greatest supporter is and it will always be the Lord. The second truth that builds confidence is this:

2) KNOWING WHY IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS KNOWING GOD.

ìAfter the Lord had finished speaking to Job, He said to Eliphaz, ëIím angry with you and your two friends, because you did not speak the truth about Me, the way My servant Job didíî(Job 42:7 TEV).

Job was doing fine right up until the point when he couldnít find the answers to ìwhyî he was suffering. His greatest pain was not his sore-infested body or the loss of his family. Rather, the pain Job suffered the worst was in not knowing why he was suffering. Jobís friends werenít any help either with their unjustified accusations. Yet the story of Job shows there will be times when we wonít have any control over our circumstances and when we wonít have any answers either.

Manís fallen nature is to control circumstances, always asking why and demanding answers. But this is not Godís nature. In our controlling nature, we try to shape God into our image when we should be allowing ourselves to be shaped into His image. You see, Godís actions do not depend on us. His ways are far above ours! Itís in His good time that He reveals answers to us. All we need to do is love God. And this is what Job recognized. The bottom line is that our confidence is built in these toughest times by simply knowing Godís Word and clinging to His truth in our hearts.

When we are able to accept the truth and not demand our ìwhyísî to be answered, when we release control totally to the Lord, itís then that we are be able to place our trust in Him. It is then that our faith begins to grow.

ìBut He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as goldî (Job 23:10).

Question 4: What areas of your life have you given control to God? What areas do you still need to give control to God where you havenít yet?

The first two truths in building confidence amidst accusations are: first, know that God is your greatest supporter and, second, understand that knowing why is not as important as knowing God. The third truth isÖ

3) GOD IS OUR REDEEMER.

Everything belongs to God and He can do what ever He wants to do. It becomes faith on our part to believe that whatever situation we find ourselves in, God will take control of it. God is more than able to redeem anything and He will redeem this situation for His glory and His eternal plan.

ìThen Job rose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped... ëNaked I came from my motherís womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken way. Blessed be the name of the Lordî (Job 1:20-21).

Job eventually received all his possessions back and more. But it all started with his willingness to fully surrender and commit to the Lord. God canít do anything in our lives unless weíre willing to offer it all up to him.

ìThen Job answered the Lord, and said, ëI know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwartedî (Job 42:1-2).

Giving the Lord full control and authority over any situation is for our good because He will redeem it. Doubt is the Accuserís greatest foothold in our lives. But if we trust the Lord in times of pain and confusion and in the face of accusations, we will win confidence that can eliminate any doubt. For it is upon God truth that we find the integrity to build confidence in the midst of accusation. Let God be the foundation in your life and allow the truth of Godís Word to be embedded in your heart.

ì...As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon the earth at lastî (Job 19:25 NLT).

Question 5: How will you be different from what you have learned today?

Summarized by Doreen Rabaino